


No breath in the woods

by loonmineko



Series: fatamoru-inspired dreamcatcher fics [1]
Category: Dreamcatcher (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, F/F, Magic, Mentions of Blood, Near Death Experiences, Witches?, kind of, slow burn but not really, yoohyeon is cold at first
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:55:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25751689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loonmineko/pseuds/loonmineko
Summary: On the brink of death, Siyeon stumbles upon a godforsaken mansion in the depths of the woods.
Relationships: Kim Yoohyeon/Lee Siyeon
Series: fatamoru-inspired dreamcatcher fics [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1868047
Comments: 1
Kudos: 17





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> okay so this is heavily inspired by one of the side stories of the visual novel The house in fata morgana (which if you haven't played I highly recommend you do!) you don't need to have played it to read this, though. Hope you all like this! :)

Every step she took felt like someone was tearing off her legs, every breath like she was deprived of the last ounces of strength she had managed to store for herself.

Fallen tree branches creaked beneath her feet that where covered by threadbare boots. It was the only sound she could hear, an earsplitting, shrill noise threatening to make her ears bleed. And it wasn’t supposed to be that way, a bitter memory making its way to her mind as she remembered how she used to relish the sounds nature would gift her.

Right then, everything seemed painful though. Not the swoosh of a passing breeze nor the chirping of birds would bring her joy anymore. Everything was ridiculously _annoying_.

The tops of the trees shielded Siyeon from the autumn’s sky. It wasn’t like it would bring any more light if the trees weren’t there, the sky seemed to be darker than usual, the blue and deep green hues of the woods surrounding her in such a way that Siyeon started to think that what she was told by the townspeople about it being cursed kind of made sense.

Although no curse would scare Siyeon off, having reached this point. In fact, it was precisely that what she was after. Even in the state she found herself in, the only thing pushing her through this predicament was no other thing but to see with her own eyes, witness that spell the whole forest seemed to be immersed in.

A groan left her throat, the pain in her body seemed to be especially ruthless that day. However, she was able to let out a breathy laugh too, scoffing at her own weakness because that was the only thing left to do.

Her stomach growled, now empty since a couple of days already. Siyeon would have cared if she hadn’t been more worried about being literally drained of life instead, time slipping through her fingers as she apathetically wondered how much she had with her. Whatever it was eating her alive, she tried to convince herself she did not mind.

Eventually, Siyeon’s eyes came across a high building, way higher than the ones she had seen in the previous town. However, what really weirded Siyeon out was the fact that it was so deep in the forest, so far ahead from the nearest village or any other form of civilization.

A sudden shiver ran through her body, and it wasn’t due to her condition that time. Something was telling her she should wander further, see if that building had anything to offer. Siyeon didn’t really understand what was pushing her to do so, but little did she care if it would bring her trouble to step into somebody else’s house. She didn’t fear whatever she might stumble upon, she didn’t care if it was reckless. At least, she wanted to feel _anything_ besides the constant ache clouding her senses.

Tree branches spread just before her eyes, other roots and plants painting her field of vision as she made her way toward the mysterious construction, having to use her arms for help so she could push her body forward, the slight cuts drawing on them as she did felt like blades cutting deep wounds on her flesh.

After struggling for some minutes, Siyeon finally found herself at a clearing just behind the entrance of the house. It seemed like the area had certainly been pruned at some point, maybe in the hope of making space for some sort of garden or backyard. From the looks of it, though, it was more than obvious that it had been long abandoned, the traces of human presence still engraved on the soil even if no soul seemed to dwell in the surroundings. It made Siyeon ponder on how merciless the passing of time was. 

Not a single light from a candle could be seen from where Siyeon was standing, the insides of what looked like a mansion wrapped in a darkness Siyeon could only describe as unreal, like it consisted of a world different from her own.

Without really giving it too much thought, Siyeon dragged her feet towards the front door, a superb sight rising before her. She presumed it was one of those nobles often ordered to be built for a reason Siyeon did not know, it was both beyond her grasp and interest. The rest of the mansion, from where she could see, was covered in a mess of ivies and moss, its color more of a dull brown than of their former vivid green. It wasn’t as fancy as what Siyeon had seen from other similar constructions, this one slightly resembling one of the village’s churches rather than where nobility used to hold those banquets unknown to Siyeon.

It was rather amusing, how Siyeon didn’t think it twice before raising her arm until the palm of her hand touched the cold iron adorning the gate and pushed it open. A loud screech echoed through the darkness as Siyeon struggled to get the door open. Her body was surprisingly small compared to the height of the now open door, making it easy to slip past. Still, Siyeon did hesitate that time, the darkness too unwelcoming even for her. However, it was the silence in there what made Siyeon dismiss all trepidation filling her mind and urged her to just close the door behind her.

Siyeon was almost sure the house was uninhabited the more she spent walking around the hall, both hands feeling the cold walls because her eyes couldn’t see a single thing, even after having got used to the darkness.

“Hello?”

Siyeon didn’t really want to encounter anyone, she would rather explore the inside of the mansion freely and alone. She thought it was a nice place to spend her (probably) last hours, and she wanted them to be peaceful, not like what her life had been so far.

Siyeon’s shoulders relaxed at the lack of response. However, she could do with some light, it had started to become unbearable. It was cold too, more reasons for Siyeon to believe no one was living there. Siyeon cursed under her breath when she made out what she presumed to be sealed windows, thick wooden boards enclosing the window frames for a reason Siyeon didn’t know and that riled her, she couldn’t think of a reason someone would want to do that.

After giving up in her attempts to find light, she decided to at least find a good place to rest, her limbs felt like giving out at any moment. Continuing through the corridors in the right wing, Siyeon stumbled across a room with a couch, not a very nice looking one, but more than enough for a person that had spent days doing nothing but walk.

A cry left her lips when her back met the softer material, her head spinning from the raw pain in her body. She didn’t know if she would make it through another day if she ended up dozing off, a part of her still wanting to cling to life even if, in the eyes of others, she appeared as though she craved for that everlasting rest, always carefree and fearless.

Again, a chuckle escaped her throat, this time triggering a coughing fit. Siyeon wouldn’t have been surprised if she had ended up pulling out one of her lungs from the intensity of it.

“God, I really am screwed” 

It didn’t stop her from laughing again. Siyeon didn’t care anymore, she just wanted to sleep.

Something in that godforsaken mansion made Siyeon feel at ease, like it really would make a nice grave. She thought about the house, about what kind of people lived there if people ever did in the first place, she also fantasized about what it would have been like to be born in a noble family, what would have been like to live without worries, to be able to fall in love.

As she felt her eyelids growing heavier, she could have sworn her eyes had caught a glimpse of silver hair, filling her last thoughts with an unexpected but welcomed warmth.


	2. Chapter 2

Cinnamon was her favorite.

When asked about food, many other things would come to Siyeon’s mind first, but it was the scent of cinnamon, or rather, the memories that it evoked, what made her love it so much. She recalled waking up in the glow of her home, one that was quite lacking commodities, the morning sun seeping through the windows and cracks on the wall and that sweet aroma coming from the kitchen where her mother stood.

In her slumber, Siyeon thought herself to be enveloped by that same warmth from her memories. How she wished to stay in the world of dreams for a bit longer.

When her eyes opened there was no trace of familiarity in the air, she felt so out of place, as if she had been forcibly woken up from a deep sleep. She also felt different, oddly so, like her body wasn’t her own.

Her body still felt like a fragile vessel, like the usual painful shell she had been caged in for such a long time now. However, she also felt as if a weight had been lifted off her, as if she wasn’t just about to die hours ago. Siyeon hadn’t experienced the slightest improvement ever since whatever it was that was bringing her closer to death started, it only worsened as days passed. So, she couldn’t believe the sudden change in her body, as small as it may be.

When she realized she wouldn’t be dying anytime soon, though, Siyeon wasn’t sure what she would do now that she was in such a place, might as well look around a bit.

Did her arms sting, though. Countless cuts from wandering around so carelessly had been imprinted on them. Siyeon, being in the slight better humor that she was, decided she could occupy herself with looking for some ointments, luckily, she would find some.

Although, she didn’t have a clue where to start looking.

“May I ask who you are?”

Siyeon froze, almost literally, upon hearing the unexpected voice. She couldn’t help the scream that left her lungs either, and it was understandable, having been caught off guard, she couldn’t spot the owner of the voice at all.

A flicker of light crossed Siyeon’s vision then, slowly letting her make out a silhouette standing by the room’s door. Still, it was awfully hard for her to recognize the person’s features, at least until they came closer, making themselves clearer.

They were several meters apart from each other, enough for Siyeon to see a bit of the person’s face, just dimly lit by the candle they were holding.

“I asked you a question. What are you doing at my house?”

The woman spoke, and despite the sharpness of her words, Siyeon didn’t find any reasons to feel intimidated. The woman, a bit taller than Siyeon, spoke in a soft voice, her facial features giving off certain innocence, like the naiveté the daughters of nobles often seemed to irradiate. Yet, little could Siyeon see, her face surrounded by darkness if not for the subtle candlelight.

“I thought no one lived here, I was just passing by”

Her voice sounded hoarse, more than usual, which was understandable considering how little she had drunk in the past few days, flask as dry as her throat. The woman didn’t seem to care about any of that, she didn’t even seem to be looking at her in the eyes. Expressionless.

But what made the woman stand out was the long, straight silver hair that fell beautifully over her shoulders, resembling one of those waterfalls Siyeon had encountered in her countless wanderings, a color so pure it was almost white, like it belonged to a higher being.

It was the first time Siyeon had seen someone with such hair color, but as well as many other things she had have to witness, she didn’t waste too much time reflecting on it, besides, it was graceful and pleasing to the eye.

“You should leave” Siyeon flinched at the other girl’s attempts to save her breath, not sparing a glance and almost turning her back to Siyeon.

Siyeon took note then, that her robes were definitely high-class, and couldn’t stop wondering what a young woman would be doing in a place like that all alone, assuming there wasn’t anyone else with them. It was weirder when the memory of the sealed windows came to her mind. Was the woman hiding herself? Or she just couldn’t stand the sunlight? Either way, it was all a mystery to Siyeon, and judging from the current situation, she probably wouldn’t be getting any answers.

She could barely stand though, and the next village would be kilometers away from there anyway. In the past, maybe, Siyeon wouldn’t have considered begging an option, she wouldn’t have wanted to hurt her pride like that. However, this time, she was set on getting what she wanted. If Siyeon had so little time left, she didn’t mind being a pain in the ass, especially if it meant bothering nobility.

“I can’t” Siyeon muttered, voice cracking at every syllable. “Please, let me stay. I can barely stand on my feet” 

No response, lips pressing together in what Siyeon figured to be annoyance. The woman clearly lacked the energy, or perhaps the skill, to persuade Siyeon to get out. It was as if the intruder’s sole presence brought an indescribable amount of trouble, as if the woman found having to face her the most aggravating task.

“Are you aware of what you’ve gotten yourself into?”

Siyeon clicked her tongue at the woman’s tone, who was probably referring to the infamous tales that enveloped the whole region. At first glance, Siyeon hadn’t expected the girl to be the kind who believed in baseless rumors and legends. She supposed she wasn’t that different from the people in the village.

“Ah, yeah. This place is cursed, right?” Siyeon said, nonchalantly, like she was trying to get a reaction from the girl. She really had the nerve to break into somebody else’s house and then proceed to practically laugh at her face. That was the kind of person she had become.

“You seem to be informed quite well. I assume that you are also aware of what will happen if you stay too much time here” A tinge of irritation in her voice. “I ask you to leave at once”

The woman straightened up, her silver hair reflecting the warm colors of the little flame flaming up from the candle, delicate fingers wrapped around the copper candle holder.

“You seem to be doing just fine, though”

The silver-haired woman scowled at the other’s insistence; eyes now fixed on hers as she delivered an incredulous expression.

“And, you see, I don’t have too much time left” Siyeon chuckled briefly. “I won’t bother you for too long, promise”

The woman held her gaze a bit longer, perhaps trying to find the words to make the intruder leave; but to Siyeon’s eyes, it was like she didn’t particularly care about her well-being, more like she didn’t want anyone to involve with her.

“You will regret it. Before you know, the witch’s curse will have struck you”

_A witch?_

“That would be lovely” Siyeon muttered. The whisper too low for the other woman to hear.

“Besides, if you die here, I don’t specially want to have to take out your corpse afterwards.”

Now, that was something Siyeon didn’t mind hearing. “Worry not. I’ll make sure to leave before that happens. I’m not that inconsiderate”

The woman turned around, her back completely facing Siyeon. “Well then. But don’t get involved, I’m not taking care of what happens to you”

Siyeon smiled, finding the other woman oddly interesting. If she wasn’t about to die, she would have loved to learn more about this house and about her. “By the way, is anyone else living here?”

Steps echoed throughout the room, the light from the candle growing dimmer. “It’s only me here”

And just like that, Siyeon was left alone again. Her field of vision darkened once more, and she hoped she could lay hands on one of those candles. She would be lying if she said she was expecting the woman to let her stay, but in the end Siyeon couldn’t complain. After all, all she wanted was a place to rest, she did not care at what cost, really.

However, even if she truly didn’t believe all that cursed-house nonsense, something in that place didn’t feel right. From the peculiar taller woman who wouldn’t spare her a glance, to the state of the house; it all intrigued Siyeon.

That’s how the quiet days between the two strangers started, in a place where life and death didn’t seem to hold that much importance.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in one go and proofread it once so I can't wait to read it again and find 500 mistakes.   
> also, thanks to @snowsadist on twt for indirectly giving me the idea


End file.
